All Saints Anglican Church Great War Memorial Gate, Nowra

About

This memorial lych gate stands at the entrance to the Anglican Church in Plunkett Street, Nowra. Lych gates were originally designed to allow the coffin to be rested prior to being brought into the church for a funeral service. In this case the gate has been designed as a war memorial, providing a rare example where these two mortuary forms have been combined. The gate has been built from rough sawn timber with a sandstone base and slate tiled roof. It has been designed in an 'Arts and Craft' manner. A bronze plaque set in the sandstone base at the right of the gate lists 12 members from the local parish who died in the First World War. A similar plaque on the left bears the dedication.  Construction of the gate was advertised for tender in the magazine Building on 4 February 1921, and the successful tender was accepted the following month. The gate was completed later that year. The memorial includes the names of two brothers who died in the Great War, (Trooper) John Campbell who enlisted 19 July 1915 and served at Gallipoli and (Private) Harry Campbell. Also listed is (Private) Francis Lymberry, a veteran of Gallipoli who was severely wounded on the Western Front and was repatriated to Australian on 21 July 1917. He died in Nowra from the effects of these wounds two years later and is buried in the Church of England Cemetery at Nowra.

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